Rice production in Indonesia is an important part of the national economy. Indonesia is the third largest rice producer in the world. It is also a world-renowned net importer of rice. Although Indonesia is a major rice producer, it is also one of the world's largest per capita rice consumers. Indonesians consume approximately 140 kilograms of rice per person per year. Coupled with population growth and a lack of high-tech agriculture, the rice produced in the country cannot meet the needs of the local population.
According to CRI, Indonesia's rice production in 2022 was about 35.05 million tons, and domestic consumption was 35.98 million tons. In 2023, rice production was 34.33 million tons, which still could not meet the domestic demand for rice in Indonesia. According to CRI forecast, due to the extreme hot weather and slow imports, rice stocks in Indonesia will continue to decline.
Indonesia is a net importer of rice, meaning it buys more rice from other countries than it sells. The country's reliance on imported rice is expected to increase.
The Indonesian government has said that the imports are to meet domestic demand in the event of a low farmer's harvest. There is also a need to ensure stockpile security.
In 2023, Indonesia approved a rice import quota of 3.8 million tons, but only 2.74 million tons were actually imported; this included more than 1 million tons of rice from Vietnam. At the beginning of 2024, the Indonesian government also approved an import quota of 2 million tons of rice for 2024, plus 1.06 million tons of unused quota for 2023. CRI expects that in 2024, Indonesia will need to purchase 3.06 million tons of rice.
According to statistics, at the beginning of February 2024, the average export price of 5% broken rice from Thailand was the highest in the world at US$653 per ton, from Vietnam at US$639 per ton, and from Pakistan at US$637 per ton.
Indonesia's target for 2024 is to produce 55.42 million tons of domestically produced rice, a figure higher than the 2023 target of 54.5 million tons. Nonetheless, the Indonesian government will still import rice in 2024, with an estimated import volume of more than 3 million tons.
The price of rice in Indonesia is also rising as Indonesian rice stocks are declining. In 2024, the approximate wholesale price range for Indonesian rice is between $0.56 and $1.47 per kilogram, or between $0.25 and $0.66 per pound. The import price per kilogram of rice into Indonesia has been quite volatile over the past five years. In 2017, the price was USD 0.92, followed by a sharp decline to USD 0.46 in 2018. This was followed by a significant increase to USD 2.45 in 2019, and a further increase to USD 2.76 in 2020. The price then drops to USD 0.80 in 2021, before settling at USD 0.66 in 2022. In 2023, the price of rice will remain at $0.66, and we predict that it will increase slightly to $0.68 in 2024.
One of the key challenges in the Indonesian rice market is to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production. The country is highly dependent on rice imports, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in international prices and supply disruptions. Addressing issues such as land availability, modernizing farming practices and improving infrastructure are critical to increasing domestic rice production.
The Indonesian provinces that produce the most rice are South Sumatra, West Java, Central Java, East Java, and South Sulawesi. Given Indonesia's large rice consuming population and the risks of being a rice importer when food prices rise, Indonesia has made achieving rice self-sufficiency a top priority. In fact, the country aims to become a rice exporter. According to CRI, from 2024 to 2033, Indonesia will import more and more rice.
Topics covered:
Learn how to effectively navigate the market research process to help guide your organization on the journey to success.
Download eBook